Phantom
by Anonymistress
Summary: The Fenton family suddenly decides it's a great idea to move to Paris. Danny isn't so on board with the whole idea, but there's no stopping his parents when they put their minds to it. Full of negative emotions about the whole thing, it isn't long before Hawk Moth picks up on Danny - and tries to make his move.
1. Chapter 1

"What do you mean, moving to Paris?" asked Danny, in disbelief.

Danny's mom laughed, "that's exactly what we mean! It's only temporarily, honey, but we just gotta get you out of the house this summer! So you, Jazz, Jack, and I will all head over to the capital of France for a whole two weeks!"

"No!" The boy groaned, raking his hands down his face.

Jazz sighed. "It's alright, Danny. In fact, I'm kind of excited. We've never been to another country! I mean, Paris?"

Danny shook his head, "I'd rather stay here where I can keep an eye on Vlad..." he muttered, glancing at a photo of his rival.

* * *

And so, the Fenton family headed over to Paris, settled down in an apartment beside a bakery.

It was only the second day when Jasmine offered to take him to the restaurant next door.

"Look, Danny, you have nothing to worry about. Tucker and Sam have Vlad handled, and they've agreed to do patrol. Besides, you need a break! Just look at you," his sister offered.

They walked into the little corner store, and Danny shook his head, "I just don't know, Jazz... I feel like something's wrong. Not in Amity Park... It's something here."

Jazz rolled her eyes and went up to the counter. "Hmm... See anything that looks good?" she glanced at her brother, who gave her a dirty look. "I guess we'll have two of those," she pointed at the macaroons, "and two of those," she gestured towards the croissants. "S'il vous plaît?" she asked hesitantly.

The dark haired woman behind the counter smiled, "of course!" She used tongs to pick up the baked goods and put them inside bags, which she handed to Jazz.

"Come on, Danny," Jasmine urged sweetly.

He lowered his head, before rolling his eyes. "Fine."

The woman behind the counter tilted her head at Danny. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Danny's eyes widened, "no, I'm not, why?" he asked, wondering how she could tell.

"Well, most people are more mindful of their emotions... If you know what I mean." She offered a smile.

Danny rolled his eyes, "no, I don't. And I don't have time for this cryptic stuff, either." He angrily walked out the door, following his sister.

The woman sighed. "Well, they can't say I didn't try..." she muttered.

* * *

In some secret lair, somewhere in Paris, a circular window slowly opened to reveal the infamous villain, Hawk Moth. "Ah... A concerned little brother, paranoid and confused... The perfect prey for my akuma," he said, placing a hand over the white butterfly that floated into his palm. When he let it go, it ceased to be white, but dark, with streaks of purple. The once innocent looking butterfly took to the air, and drifted out the little opening in the window.

* * *

Danny gasped, as blue colored fog escaped his mouth. "A ghost? Here? Now?" he looked around, and jumped in a nearby abandoned alley. "Going ghost!" he shouted, before turning from his human form to his ghostly form.

* * *

In the aforementioned secret lair, Hawk Moth growled, frowning. "Those emotions... Where did they go?!" he asked, gripping his cane tight. This had not happened too many times before. But unlike the times before, this one made no sense. The boy's troubles vanishing like that? Without even a _ghost_ of an emotion to speak of? Wait...

* * *

Danny Phantom looked around the street, until he saw a peculiar black butterfly, and he frowned. "Is that normal?" he asked no one in particular.

The butterfly seemed confused as well, flapping around with no real direction.

Danny got out his Fenton Thermos, the device he used to catch ghosts, and tried it on the butterfly. Miraculously, it was sucked right in. He capped it, and frowned. "Huh, didn't expect that to work..." He shrugged.

"AHH! AN AKUMA!" yelled a voice from below, pointing at him.

The ghost boy frowned, "An a-what-a?"

Citizens ran from him in fear, screaming.

"Your days of evil doing are done, akuma!" cried out a voice, as a girl with pigtails slid into the scene. She wore a matching outfit and mask, red with black dots. She pointed at Danny.

The white haired boy cocked his head. "What's an - an akuma? Am I saying that right?" He thought to himself for a second.

A blond boy leapt next to the girl, "How do you always get here first? You're impeccable with your timing! Just the cat's meow!" he said, which was funny, because he wore a black cat suit.

Danny Phantom couldn't help but start laughing. He drifted to the ground. "Wait, so, are you ghost hunters? Because you look like superheroes-" The girl's yo-yo came right at him, but he turned intangible a second before it hit him.

She gasped. "He's... A hologram?!"

The ghost frowned at the girl. "Not a hologram! I'm Danny Phantom? I thought I was famous..." he muttered, looking at the ground.

The cat boy shook his head, "Ladybug, where do you think the akuma is? His thermos?"

Ladybug nodded, "worth a try! But how can we touch him when he becomes intangible?"

"Uh, hello? I'm right here? Why are you discussing your plan right in front of me?" Danny asked, waving his arms. "And what's an akuma?"

Ladybug frowned. "Wait, he hasn't hurt any civilians yet, he doesn't seem to know what an akuma is, and he hasn't asked for our miraculous yet... Chat, he might not be an akumatized victim!"

"EXCUSE ME!" Danny shouted. "What is an akuma? Who are you guys?"

Chat Noir chuckled, "I'm glad you asked... I'm Chat Noir, and this is my sidekick, Ladybug, and we protect all of Paris from Hawk Moth's evil akumas!"

Ladybug frowned, shooting a dirty look at her partner, and began walking towards the ghost boy, "and who are you, if you're not an akuma? Are you an another miraculous holder?"

"What's a miraculous...? Um, no, I'm a ghost boy! I'm Danny Phantom..." the boy explained, with a smile. "I came here because I sensed a ghost with my ghost sense... But all I found was a black butterfly!" He chuckled.

Ladybug gasped, "that's an akuma! Where did it go? I have to purify it!"

Danny tapped his Fenton Thermos. "I caught it in here. So, if that's an akuma... What's so dangerous about it? Butterflies aren't scary from where I come from."

"An akuma isn't a butterfly. It's a monster. An evillized creature, containing power to transform any human into a supervillain!" Chat Noir explained.

The ghost boy gasped, "wow! That's kinda actually cool... Tucker would flip if he heard about this!" He gasped, suddenly, realizing he disappeared on Jazz. "Ah, I gotta go! Cya around, uh, protectors of Paris!" he zoomed back into the apartment, turning invisible and intangible just beforehand.

"What about the-" Ladybug sighed, when there was no sight of the ghost boy, "akuma...? Hmm... That was weird, huh, Chaton?" She glanced at her partner.

He chuckled, "at least we didn't have to fight an akuma. I just got my nails done," he said, posing with them.

She rolled her eyes, "of course. Well, now that the danger has passed, I've got to go."

"Of course. Cya around, my lady!" He hopped away.

* * *

Hawk Moth frowned, as he could sense the boy's disturbed emotions once more. "Hmm... He's able to elude my empathy, if only temporarily... Perhaps I should keep an eye on this one," he muttered, putting a hand to his chin in thought. He wasn't sure what this kid was, yet, but he could tell that Danny Fenton was no miraculous holder...

(A/N: To be continued! Honestly I didn't think I was gonna go very far with this but I like the chemistry between the trio and honestly now that I think about it Danny is kinda overpowered compared to Ladybug and Chat Noir, I mean he can go through walls, disappear and fly, never mind all the abilities he gained in season three that I may or may not include in this particular fiction)


	2. Chapter 2

Jasmine Fenton was no idiot. She knew her brother could not adjust to the situation, at least, not yet. So, she thought, she'd get her friends to video chat him and tell him that everything was fine. That would work, wouldn't it? Jazz thought this through as she walked into the apartment without looking back - until she heard the cries of terror from behind her. She turned to see people gawking at a familiar ghost, floating in the sky. "Oh no," she muttered. Of course there would be ghosts in Paris, since people died everywhere. She only hoped her parents didn't -

"Jack, look! It's the ghost boy!"

Crap. Jazz dashed up the stairs, and to her horror, she found both Jack and Maddie gazing at her transformed little brother. She scrambled to think of what to say when she noticed two figures nearby, and snapped. "Oh, right!"

Her parents turned to her. "What's that?" asked Jack, sounding confused.

Jazz chuckled, "I just remembered... Paris has a couple of superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, who defend the city from ghosts and stuff. We probably should leave it to them to take care of him!" she tried. "Besides, we're supposed to be on vacation, aren't we?"

Her mother nodded. "You're right, Jazz... Except that's Inviso-Bill, and he followed us here. He's our duty!"

The big sister groaned. "Please, mom... Family vacation means that you're on vacation too. No hunting ghosts!"

"Did somebody say ghost?" asked Jack, looking excited, and pulled a ecto-bazooka out of nowhere.

Jazz immediately took it from him. "No, dad. No ghosts, no ghost hunting, no, no, no," she said, shaking her head. She risked a glance back, and found that Danny Phantom was gone, and the superheroes were chatting. Her eyes widened. "Look, they already took care of him, anyway!" she said with a smile, but inwardly hoped that wasn't the case.

Jack looked defeated. Maddie sighed. "Alright... I guess we really should take a break, huh? Hmm... Wait, Jazz, where's Danny?"

The redhead's eyes widened. "Oh, um, he's-"

"Right here!" said a sudden voice by her side. Indeed, her brother was present. "Sorry, I just had to run to the bathroom. Did I miss anything?"

Jazz smiled. "We just all agreed that none of us will be hunting ghosts or doing anything involving ghosts on this vacation. That means all of us. So, hand over the Thermos, Danny."

Danny grumbled before handing over the device. "Fine..."

"Great! Now, let's enjoy these delicious pastries I just bought from the bakery!" Jazz said, grinning. Unfortunately it was ineffective in passing to her little brother, who seemed forever downcast.

He took out his picture of Vlad again, and studied it, with a determined look. "Sure..."

* * *

Day One went by fast. After the lunch of croissants and macaroons, they headed down the streets of Paris and went in every door. They tried on the fashions, and went to a fancy dinner. By the end of the day, the family was exhausted - but happy. Well, except for one person.

Danny proved to be inconsolable. Jazz was extra nice to him, but nothing could ease his troubled mind. After being nice to him, she gave him space - which only seemed to make the boy's mood worsen.

The boy seemed a bit better before going to bed. Jack and Maddie slept together, of course, Danny slept on the single bed, and Jazz had decided to take the couch.

Danny locked his door and gazed out his window at the Eiffel Tower and the full moon that lit it. He smiled a little, before his ghost sense went off. "I don't care what Jazz says, I still have a duty, whether I'm in Amity Park or Paris! Going ghost!" He transformed into Danny Phantom and flew through the door to Jazz's locker of ghost equipment. Only she had the key, of course, but Danny didn't need a key when he could become intangible at will. He reached into the locker and found his Thermos. He grinned.

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir stared at the giant thing as it roared. It was big, green, and repulsive. They couldn't tell what it was. "Is it... Is it an akuma?" asked Chat Noir.

"Dunno, it doesn't really seem like one..." answered his lady, watching the creature.

From seemingly nowhere, Danny Phantom appeared, a ball of green ecto-energy in his hand. "YOU DON'T STAND A _GHOST_ OF A CHANCE!" he proudly proclaimed to the beast.

Ladybug groaned, "Oh no..." She looked so upset. "Not another one!" She looked immensely irritated.

Chat Noir stared at Danny with awe and delight. "Did you hear what he said?" he asked. "He said 'ghost of a chance'! He's speaking my language!"

The ghost monster thing roared again, trying to get away from Danny. "Oh, no you don't!" cried the boy, shooting some more beams at it.

"Should we help him?" asked Chat Noir.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "If it's not an akuma, you don't need my help. Besides, I have something I need to do..." Without another word, she swung away.

Chat Noir slid into the scene beside Danny. "Need a paw?" asked the cat boy, with a signature smile.

Danny nodded, "that'd be helpful. Can you do any damage to him?" asked the boy.

Chat Noir cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure. Cataclysm!" he said, holding his hand to the sky, before running at the ghost and laying a hand on it.

The effect was instantaneous. The creature shrieked in unholy agony, and began to diminish in size. Danny chuckled, and laughed, "now THAT'S the _spirit_!"

Chat Noir flashed a grin. "I'm _paw_ -sitive that we did our best!"

Danny sucked the weakened ghost into the Thermos, and started to uncontrollably laugh. "What did you say your name was again?" he asked, floating over to the blond with a smile.

"Chat Noir. You?" he asked, tilting his head, smiling.

"Danny Phantom. But my friends call me Danny." He stood on the ground, no longer floating. He yawned. "Well, I guess I gotta get back home..." Then his ghost sense went off. "You've _cat_ to be kidding me..." he muttered, sounding upset.

Chat Noir snickered at the pun, but looked confused, "what?"

"Oh, I just sensed another ghost, is all. Up for another round, my feline friend?" Danny asked.

The blonde boy chuckled, "of course I am. Let's kick his butt to the afterlife!" he exclaimed with joy.

And so Danny flew towards their next foe, Chat Noir hot on his trail.

(A/N: I really like this chemistry between Chat Noir and Danny. I thought since they both make puns, they'd become friends pretty quickly. And since Chat is lending a hand in fighting ghosts, Danny might help Chat and Ladybug with some akumas. I have a whole plan in my mind for this and I'm loving it. Please leave a review if you have time, I love to hear feedback! If I don't get feedback, how am I supposed to know anyone likes it? Just a thought. Peace out, folks!)


	3. Chapter 3

Danny Phantom knelt over in an alley, breathing hard, before turning human. He chuckled, "I forgot that using my ghostly wail means I almost immediately turn back... He sighed. Ladybug and Chat Noir had been stunned, he reflected. But he had helped, hadn't he? He wandered back to the apartment, and eventually slumped forward on his bed.

What he was convinced was almost immediately, his door was slung open. "Danny! Did you get any rest?" asked his cheery sister.

He growled, "No, I did not!" He shot a glare at her.

She nodded. "I know you didn't," she said, pulling up her laptop and showing him. It was on a website called 'The Ladyblog', as indicated by the large banner over the top. Currently, there was a running gif with Danny Phantom using his ghostly wail at the terrified akuma. There was a caption below it that said "Danny Phantom - Friend or foe?"

Danny frowned at that. "So what? My ghost sense went off. I have a duty, you know!"

"Not right now! It's vacation. You're supposed to be resting, Danny, this isn't healthy. I've read some things on this blog... You shouldn't be feeling like this," she said, concern taking over her anger. "You might hurt someone!"

He rolled his eyes. "Just leave me alone, Jazz. I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm doing my job. And if you don't like it, GET OVER IT!" He slammed his door in her face, and sighed, sliding down beside it. "What am I gonna do?" he asked softly, looking at his hands. He knew she was right, deep down, but he was too exhausted to care.

* * *

"Gabriel Agreste, I assume?" asked a grey haired man, as he stepped off the private jet. "To what do I owe this fateful acquaintance?" The man's lip curled upwards.

The blonde man before him smiled. "A particular problem of yours has make its home here. Mayor Masters, have you heard of Ladybug and Chat Noir?" he asked, turning away to hide his snarl.

The man shook his head, "I can't say I have. Who are they?"

"They are unimportant. Simply, they have something that I want, and they will not let me have it, no matter what I do." He admitted.

"Just like the Packers," Vlad muttered, thinking about his favorite football team. "And how does this concern me, exactly?"

Gabriel smiled. "Danny Phantom. He has... Relocated. From your Amity Park, to my Paris. And, it seems, he has teamed up with Ladybug and Chat Noir." He turned to Vlad, a look in his eyes.

"Ah, I see. You want me to help you with Daniel, hmm?" asked the grey haired man, putting a hand to his chin.

He nodded. "The ghost boy has only made it more difficult to achieve my goals. I can offer you many things, if only you will help me with him."

"I have riches, fame, power. But there is one very important thing out of my reach," Vlad admitted.

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Name it."

* * *

Danny was in his room for an hour. No ghost sense. No distractions. Not even Jazz checked up on him.

For one full hour, Danny laid in bed, desperately trying to sleep - but was unable to. Maybe the bed was too lumpy. Maybe he felt too bad. He looked at the clock. 2:30 PM. He sighed.

"Danny, come on, can't we talk about this?" asked Jazz, just outside his door. "Come on, Danny..."

Some tears escaped his eyes. His ghost sense went off. "Sorry, Jazz..." He transformed, and stood tall. "I have a job to do."

He flew through the window and spotted no ghost, but another black butterfly. He tried to grab it in his hands, but, of course, they went right through. "Hmm..." He flew back down, intangible and invisible, and grabbed the Fenton Thermos, and once again trapped the akuma inside. He sighed, "I really do need a break..."

"DANNY!" Jazz yelled, and he inwardly cursed.

He put the Thermos outside the locker and went back to his bedroom, and turned back to human form.

There she was, looking terrified. Of course, she had been worrying about Danny the entire time. "Jazz! I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, Danny, it's just that I learned that negative emotions attract akumas. I just... I don't want you to get hurt, you know," she murmured, ruffling his hair.

He frowned, "wait, really? Well, that explains a lot..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, cocking her head.

He shrugged, "Nothing, nothing..."

* * *

Eventually, the family got together and headed to the Eiffel Tower. Danny was unimpressed, of course, but the rest of the family turned out to be ecstatic. After the day's daily akuma attack, there was nothing that could be so eventful. Danny's ghost sense did not rear it's ugly head until late at night.

* * *

Danny Phantom took to the skies, and spotted another black butterfly. He sighed. "Seriously?" he asked, before the akuma touched a bystander, and they began to transform. He gasped. "Well, I guess Ladybug was right..."

A stereotypical battle sequence began to take place - the akumatized villain demanding the miraculous, Ladybug and Chat Noir showing up, and fighting. Danny fought, as well, but his heart wasn't in it. He growled, "enough of this!" And used his ghostly wail to end the fight, before returning to his apartment without a second glance, leaving a confused but grateful Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"Seriously, my lady, I think something's wrong. Usually he makes more puns... This fight, he didn't make _any_!" Chat Noir argued.

Ladybug shook her head. "Not our problem. He's a ghost, not a miraculous holder. Getting in our business is his choice, we manage just fine without him. If he didn't help, I'd tell him to stay out."

The cat's ears went down. "But... He's my friend. Why don't you trust him?"

The bluenette rolled her eyes. "Do you seriously not remember Lila? How she turned into Volpina, and tricked us?"

"But he's not Volpina, and he's been helping us!" the blond boy argued, balling up his fists. "He deserves a chance. At least one."

She let out a sigh, "Fine. But if he does anything that puts innocent people in harm's way, he's lost my trust and respect."

"My lady, I don't think that's how trust and respect works..." he muttered, watching her yo-yo away. He sighed, "oh, well. She'll learn to trust him eventually, right?"

* * *

Hawk Moth stared as the window closed. "I'll get you next time, Ladybug and Chat Noir!" he said, angrily showing his clenched fist to no one. Except one.

Behind him, he heard a slow clap. "Nice strategy. Sending villains so you don't have to fight them yourself. Ingenious, really." Vlad smiled.

The butterfly villain turned around. "So, now you see, don't you?"

The grey haired man transformed in seconds into his alter ego, Vlad Plasimus, and flew above Hawk Moth, cape waving majestically. "I do, indeed. You need someone to do your dirty work for you. Someone like me." He flashed a toothy smile.

Gabriel chuckled, "Exactly."


	4. Chapter 4

Danny finally was able to sit down on his bed and call his friends back at Amity Park. "Hey, Tucker, hey, Sam!" He smiled and waved, like a princess.

"Danny!" they both exclaimed, delighted to see him. "Oh, my gosh, you won't believe what happened-" Sam started.

"-Mayor Vlad Masters went on vacation! Apparently. I didn't even know mayors could do that!" Tucker interrupted, looking frazzled.

"What? Vacation? Where?" Danny asked,

"Paris," Sam answered.

Danny's blood turned cold. "He must know I'm here... Why else would he come?" He hugged his arms, before his ghost sense went off. He growled. "I'll be right back, guys, one second!"

One second turned into five minutes. He returned with the Fenton Thermos and one more akuma inside. He proudly showed it to Tucker and Sam.

Tucker frowned, "uh, aren't you supposed to be on vacation?"

Danny sighed, "I would be, but these ghosts and akumas won't leave me alone!"

"Akuma? What's that?" asked Sam, completely in the dark.

For the next half hour, Danny told them all about Chat Noir, akumas, Ladybug, and most importantly, Hawk Moth. He was right, Tucker flipped out when he heard.

"You fight with real superheroes?" he asked, astonished.

Danny shot him a glare. "I am a real superhero, Tucker. Anyway, it's awesome here. Except, well... I haven't been getting a lot of sleep. And Jazz has been annoyingly chummy this whole trip. Oh, and, she says I can't help the superheroes."

"She's probably just jealous," Tucker surmised.

Sam shook her head. "Don't listen to him. Jazz cares about you, and doesn't want you to get hurt on vacation. You should relax, Danny. After all, how often do you get to go to Paris?"

The ghost boy had to admit, she was right. "You know what? You're right, Sam. From here on out, I'm gonna relax. I deserve a break, I'm worth it." He smiled. "Goodnight, guys."

"Goodnight!" they both exclaimed, waving bye to their friend.

For once on this trip, Danny was able to lie down and get a good night of sleep.

* * *

"So, you mean you don't know their identities?" asked Vlad, floating above Hawk Moth menacingly.

Gabriel sighed, "Ladybug and Chat Noir's true identities have been kept from me. But, if you know this Phantom's true identity, why would you not reveal it?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I was planning to... Until he learned mine. I would go from honorable mayor to infamous ghost in seconds. Not only that, my true love, Maddie, would never accept me, but she would always accept him, ghost or not..." He blushed. "Can we change the subject?"

Hawk Moth chuckled, "of course. You've seen the extent of my powers. Now, show me the extent of yours. Go out there, into the streets. You will be mistaken for an akuma, and Ladybug and Chat Noir will come to fight you. Show me what you're capable of."

Vlad chuckled. "Gladly..." He turned intangible and invisible, and floated through the closed window.

* * *

Danny woke up to the sound of indistinct TV. He walked outside his room and found Jazz idly flipping through the channels. She stopped when she heard him, and glanced at him. "Morning, Danny." she greeted, with a smile.

He smiled back, until he picked up on what the TV was actually saying.

"...is calling himself Paris' champion. Plasmius shows no signs of stopping his vengeful stride as he approaches the Eiffel Tower..."

The picture on the TV was none other than Vlad Plasmius.

Danny and Jazz stared at the TV in shock, gasping. "Plasmius..." she muttered, biting her lip, and turned to look at her brother.

"Please, Jazz?" he asked, glancing up at her with a worried expression.

She sighed, "No, Danny. It's too dangerous."

The teen sighed, "should have known you'd be like this," he muttered, before heading back to his room and slamming the door. He transformed and headed out, to save the day, against his sister's wishes.

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir approached Plasimus with determined looks. "Stop right there!" shouted Ladybug, and to her amazement, he did stop and look at her, surprised, before grinning.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir, I presume? How nice it is to finally meet you..." He chuckled. "Give me your miraculous now, and we won't have to fight."

Chat Noir shook his head. "In your dreams, Plasmius!"

"I was hoping you'd say that..." He muttered, before splitting himself into four identical copies, and charging up four pink ghost blasts at once, before firing two at each hero.

Ladybug and Chat were caught off guard, and slammed right into a wall.

From above, an antsy, but well rested invisible Danny Phantom watched. He didn't want to be caught by Jazz, so, he did the next best thing.

Chat Noir laughed, and stood up tall, like the blast was nothing. "It'll take more than that to stop us! I mean, you've just _cat_ to be kidding me!"

"Chaton?" asked Ladybug, looking confused and somewhat defeated. When he turned to her, she saw something strange in his glowing green eyes.

Plasimus growled. "You can't defeat me, cat boy!" all four of him declared, before joining together as one, and aiming another blast at him.

Chat Noir hopped out of the way. "Me- OW!" he shouted as he got hit on the leg. He chuckled, "it's a good thing I love a good catfight!" He meowed as he pounced upon the ghost.

The villain laughed, as he stared at Chat Noir, holding him down by his arms. "Overshadowing one of these heroes? Not a very smart idea, Daniel," he said, before taking Dannoir's left arm and breaking it like it was nothing.

"Get off him!" Ladybug shouted, using her yo-yo to grab Plasimus' leg and try to pull him off the blonde.

Plasimus rolled his eyes, and turned intangible, making her yo-yo go right through him.

The bluenette gasped, the dots connecting. "Intangible? You're not an akuma, you're a ghost!"

Vlad shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat, kid."

"Where's Danny?" asked Ladybug, glancing at her feline partner. "He should be here, helping out with this..."

Dannoir shrugged. "Maybe he's taking a catnap?" he suggested with a smile.

"Thanks for the warm hospitality, Ladybug and Chat Noir, but I really must go. Cya next time~!" And just like that, Plasimus was gone.

Ladybug shook her head, before running to Chat Noir. "Your arm - is it okay?"

He looked to it. Right, he forgot about that. "Actually, I think I'll be fine!" he cheerily announced, smiling brightly, hands on his hips. "getoutofmeplease" he was able to mutter before falling forward in pain. That unusual glow to his eyes subsided, and he winced from the pain.

"Chat Noir...!"

Ladybug's final words faded as Danny invisibly and intangibly floated away. Vlad was here... Just like he thought. But what was he doing? He didn't know. And he was afraid to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug cried, when her partner in crime slumped forward.

He frowned and glanced at her from her knees. "My... My lady?" he asked, a bit out of it.

"What the heck just happened?" she asked, demanding an explanation rather than asking for one.

The blond boy swallowed hard. "Well... I think I was possessed... By Danny."

She gasped, "I knew it! He's just as bad as Volpina..."

"Not true, my lady! He wanted to help... I could feel it. He knew we couldn't defeat Plasmius on our own. It could have been worse if he didn't step in..." Chat tried, but his lady would have none of it.

"WORSE? Chat, your arm is broken!" She put a hand to her face. "Danny might have meant well, but you got hurt because of him. Why couldn't he fight Plasmius without possessing you?"

Chat Noir didn't have an answer. He sighed, "I don't know."

"Exactly. He didn't explain, he just left. I don't trust him, and neither should you," she said, pointing to his chest.

The cat boy tilted his head, looking downcast. "You said you'd give him a chance..." He glanced at his arm. "How am I supposed to explain this?" he muttered, before hopping off back to his house.

* * *

Danny followed Vlad, catching his nemesis reappear briefly near the Agreste Residence. "A-ha!" he muttered, with a smile, following him.

The ghost soared towards the mansion, and quickly phased inside; Danny swiftly followed suit.

Vlad flew down into a dimly lit chamber, Danny hot on his tail. And then a light flickered on.

"Danny Phantom. You've been giving me quite the trouble, lately. There is something to be said for heroics, at least..." a voice rang, before the owner of said voice stepped forth. Hawk Moth.

The ghost boy gasped. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to float over to him, only to find he had been trapped in a cage of anti-ghost material. He growled. "Let me out!"

Vlad Plasmius appeared next to Hawk Moth. "And why would we do that, Daniel? We have you right where we want you." He smiled cruelly.

Danny began to panic. "What do you want, Plamius? My mom? She'll never be into you, Vlad!"

Hawk Moth took a step forward. "We have a mutual interest in you, Danny. Until you showed up, I had never seen any proof of ghosts, and then my city was swarming with them. It's almost like... You brought them here."

"My suitcase isn't that big!" Danny exclaimed defensively, crossing his arms.

"Enough! Daniel, you have a choice. You can give up now, or we can wait for you to give up..." Vlad threatened.

Suddenly, the darkness in the room shifted, and Danny realized there were no shadows. No, all the walls had been covered in black butterflies. The boy let out a strangled gasp. "Is that supposed to scare me?" he asked, with a smirk. "You won't even fight me, because you know you'll lose!" He pointed at Vlad.

Vlad glared at the boy. "Are you suggesting a duel?"

Hawk Moth tapped his foot impatiently.

Danny laughed, "you know I am. Whoever turns back human first loses."

"Fair enough. These walls are coated in anti-ghost material, so you can't escape. If you lose, you have to do what I say, no matter what..." Vlad said, giving him a cold look.

The ghost boy grinned. "And if I win, you have to leave me, my friends, and family alone... forever!"

Vlad's eyes narrowed. "Deal..."

* * *

Jazz got up, after watching the news and watching Ladybug and Chat Noir failing to defeat Plasimus. She sighed, "Maybe he was right..." She got up and headed to his room. "Danny?" she asked, knocking, before walking in. Her eyes widened when she found he wasn't there. "Dang it, Danny, why do you always have to do this?" she asked, staring at his empty bed. "Well, he couldn't have gone far, right?"

She frantically began to search for clues, but only found one - the Fenton Thermos was missing. Of course, that was his weapon of choice. She sighed, "maybe Ladybug and Chat Noir would know..." She glanced at the Ladyblog on her phone, and smirked. "Worth a try, right?"

* * *

"OH NO! I'M GOING TO BE LATE TO SCHOOL!" shouted Marinette, sitting straight up.

Tikki chuckled beside her. "It's summer, silly, you don't have school!"

The bluenette laughed. "You're right! I guess I'll see if I can catch some more Z's..." She dove back into her bed with enthusiasm, and cuddled her full body pillow of Adrien.

She settled quickly, closed her eyes, and began to drift off...

 _BRRRRRRRING! BRRRRRRRING!_

"Marinette, your phone's ringing!" Tikki chirped, to the girl's chagrin.

She yawned and sat up. "I know, I know..." she muttered, before picking up the phone and answering. "Hello?"

"Hey, girl, I need your help!" announced her best friend Alya. "It's super important!"

"What's up?" asked the sleepy teen.

Alya sighed, "You can get into contact with Ladybug, if need be, right?"

Marinette swallowed hard, and repeated her question, "what's up?" but with a more serious tone.

"We need Ladybug. Can you make sure she shows up at the Eiffel tower in, like, fifteen minutes?" Alya asked, sounding beyond concerned.

The bluenette nodded, "consider it done!"

Alya hung up without any more explanation. Marinette turned to Tikki with a worried look.

"That sounds serious... You should go there early, to see what all the fuss is about!" the kwami squeaked.

Marinette nodded. "Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

Danny stared at his opponent. Vlad Plasmius doubled himself, and then doubled those two, creating four perfect clones. "You can't beat me, Daniel!" they all gleefully informed him in unison.

The ghost boy laughed. "My powers have doubled since the last time we met!" he bravely or foolishly assumed, and doubled himself, just like Plasmius.

The Vlads gave him a slow clap. "So you can create copies of yourself. Big deal!"

"That's not all I can do!" With no other warning, both Dannys shot with both hands at the Vlads' faces, before regrouping into one.

The Vlads all dodged, two sneaking around Danny, before blasting him with ghost rays.

Hawk Moth smiled, watching the fight from afar. He had an ingenious plan for when this was all over - but for now, he simply sipped at tea.

* * *

Alya stared at Jazz. "Your email didn't explain much. Why did you need Ladybug? You said it was something to do with Danny Phantom?"

Jazz glanced around the Eiffel tower. It was a little different in the evening, but she didn't mind. She sighed, and nodded. "Danny Phantom is to me what Ladybug is to you. I might not have a blog about him, but I am his biggest fan - and I noticed he's missing."

"That's what this is about?" Alya raised an eyebrow. "How is Ladybug supposed to help?"

The redhead shook her head, "She fought with him against Candy Queen and that other one, right?"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean she knows where he is at all times! Besides, he hasn't appeared for hours," the blogger argued, looking distressed.

"Exactly. According to your video, he didn't show up at the last battle - with the ghost Plasmius? So Ladybug might know something!" Jazz tried, anxious.

Alya let out a sigh. "This better be worth it," she muttered.

Ladybug had been watching the duo for a while, waiting. Nothing was amiss, she decided, and swung down to them. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked, glancing between Alya and Jazz.

"Oh, you're here! Great. Have you seen Danny Phantom around?" asked Jazz, offering a kind smile, but inwardly screaming.

The spotted superheroine's face was the definition of disgust. "Not since he decided to break Chat Noir's arm, no."

Alya gasped, "he broke Chat Noir's arm? When?"

"The battle with Plasmius. He decided to, I guess, possess Chat Noir and fight the other ghost. He got Chat Noir's arm broken..." Ladybug muttered with anger.

Jazz put a hand over her mouth. "Oh no," she muttered. Ladybug was wrong. Chat Noir's broken arm wasn't Danny's fault. It was hers. She told Danny not to fight Plasmius, and he did anyway - inside Chat Noir's body, so he wouldn't be caught. Her brother had the heart of a hero...

Jasmine looked up at the sky, watching the sun set. "Oh, Danny, where are you?" she asked, not expecting an answer. And she didn't get one, anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny fell to the ground, weakened. Vlad towered over him, grinning, showing off those fangs of his. The ghost boy took a deep breath, before letting out - in the form of his Ghostly Wail, his most powerful ability. It knocked Vlad against the wall, the old man cupping his hands over his ears.

The white haired boy looked at his enemy, as he final stopped. He slowly began to transform back - desperately trying to hold onto his ghost form. "No, no, no..." he whispered, crying, he would not allow this! He would fight Plasmius to his last breath, and beyond before he gave the man what he wanted. He felt his hair erupt into white flames, as a power he had only slightly tapped into came over him.

Hawk Moth stared, very much enjoying the fight. He was surprised to see how well Danny could hold his own in a fight, but Vlad was far his superior, with more training and experience. But the boy had something else - he had an unbreakable will. The will of a hero, like Ladybug or Superman. But his body, unfortunately, wasn't unbreakable. Indeed, his human form ironically was his downfall, the villain surmised.

Vlad was frozen in shock when it happened - the dim light around his enemy began to brighten, and his hair changed, flowing like fire, and the green of his eyes was overtaken by white, before his entire body was engulfed in the brightness. Vlad held up a hand to shield his eyes from the sun that Danny had become.

And just like that, it was over. Danny fell to the floor, human, and unconscious. The power he had displayed vanished before it could ever be released, and for that, Vlad and Hawk Moth were grateful.

The halfa picked Danny up, and strapped him to the table he had prepared. He waited impatiently, tapping his hands.

He had explained to Hawk Moth the problem - Danny would never submit to him. He wished for Danny to look up to him, but the hero would never get past what Vlad had done. Making a clone was easier said than done, and getting the mid-morph sample was only one of the hardest parts. No, nothing could substitute for Danny. There was no replacement for the ghost boy.

So he'd just have to make him see reason, right? Hawk Moth had an akuma waiting in his hands for when the boy awoke. Yes, this would be perfect - for both of them.

* * *

"Danny!" called Jazz, cupping her hands. They had filed a missing persons report - and no one had seen the ghost boy or the human boy. Jack and Maddie were still in the dark about their son's ghost identity, miraculously, and searched the streets for their boy.

The redhead called again, desperately. How could she have let this happen? She bit back the tears. No, she had to be positive. Danny was out here somewhere, right? Yes, right. He had to be... But how could his big sister let him disappear like that? How could she, she was supposed to be responsible for him! And now he could be anywhere...

The tears came, and this time, Jazz let them. She knew the risk of being akumatized, but the emotional side of her didn't care any more. She would find Danny, one way or another, she vowed... And continued her frantic, desperate search around the big city.

* * *

Danny's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself alone. "Hello?" he asked, before walking around. Where was he? Wait... He had been here before! It was Clockwork's Lair, he determined, in the Ghost Zone. But where was Clockwork? And how did he get here? Wasn't he fighting Vlad?

He shook his head, and looked around, "Clockwork? You here?"

Behind him, he heard quick tapping sound, like a metal object before coming to a resting place. He turned around and saw it - a single Fenton Thermos, on a pedestal, with light shining on it. He frowned, and searched for the source of the tapping, but found nothing.

"What is this?" he asked, cautiously approaching it. He picked it up, uncapped it, and peeked inside, only to find darkness. He pressed the release button.

Instantaneously, his vision was distorted by smoke. He coughing, holding onto the Thermos like a lifeline. When the smoke dissipated enough for him to see, he was left staring at a towering figure.

"Hello, Danny," said the deep voice he dreaded.

The ghost boy's breath hitched. "Y-you..." he sputtered, and was met with a deep chuckle.

Dan Phantom staring at him with those crimson eyes. "Yes, that's right, Danny... me."

"Nononono, you can't be here... You're impossible!" Danny said, taking steps back as his dark counterpart advanced.

The tall man chuckled. "That's where you're wrong... I'm _inevitable._ You still turn into me... Why else would I be here?"

Danny gasped, as he realized. He fell back, and scrambled backwards. "Nope nope this isn't happening nope-"

Dan picked up Danny by his collar, holding him up to meet eyes with the boy. "You still turn into me, no matter what you do, Danny. You will hurt the ones you love. You know it, don't you?" His future evil self had a smirk on his face. He chuckled again, reveling in the sight of the boy's cower.

"No... I'm not afraid of you, Dan!" Danny said desperately. He took a deep breath, "going ghost!" Only to stay human. "I can't... I can't go ghost?"

The ultimate enemy threw Danny to the ground with force. "You're not afraid of me... You're not afraid of any ghost. I know what you're afraid of, Danny. You're afraid of turning into me. Afraid of turning into the very thing you fight. But don't you understand? _You already are_."

The boy looked confused. "That's - that's a lie!" he shouted, taking deep breaths.

"It is the truth," the phantom said, gesturing to a mirror beside the cowering human boy.

The boy looked into it, and his heart plummeted. Red eyes, white flaming hair, and fangs. He still had the same proportions as normal - but otherwise, he was a replica of his evil self. "No..." he moaned, shaking his head slowly, unable to turn away from his reflection.

"Accept it... You're a monster, deep down! Just like me - because I am you! But I don't hide the monster under a hero persona. I don't _lie_ about what I really am. And now, neither do you." The deep voice echoed across the lair.

Danny bowed his head, closing his eyes tight. He thought about it all - he broke Chat Noir's arm, he disobeyed his sister, he lost against Vlad - maybe Dan was right. Maybe Danny was no hero.

"Phantom... I can offer you all the power I have, plus your own. You can be who you know you really are... For a small favor. What do you say?" His voice was like velvet, charming and sweet, yet still so deep and dark.

The black haired boy opened his eyes and found a hand outstretched to him, from Dan. He glanced up into his evil self's eyes, searching for something. His own eyes hardened.

"Okay," he found himself saying, as he took Dan's hand. And then the universe around them blinked out of existence.

(A/N: Ooh, how do you think they're gonna get out of this one? If you like what's going on, please please leave a review! Reviews are how I decide how to make the rest of the stories, which characters to add, and which path the story takes. Just a quick comment is all I need - suggestions, questions, theories, anything! Spill your thoughts, that's how I know you like it! Thank you for reading at least this far. I've renewed this story to at least it's 8th chapter, so you can count on chapters all the way until there!)


	7. Chapter 7

Vlad waited impatiently, tapping his foot. On Hawk Moth's face was that familiar magenta butterfly outline, and his eyes were closed. He had explained his intentions - Danny would not give up easily, this they both knew. So Hawk Moth would distort Danny's world, so there was no choice.

In front of the boy's face, the butterfly outline floated. His eyes, closed, but he was not at easy rest. He squirmed and trembled, unlike Hawk Moth, who was as still as a statue. In Danny's hand, there was a blackened Fenton Thermos - the object the akuma had floated into.

Vlad let out a sigh, glancing at his nonexistent watch. "C'mon, Hawky, what's taking so long?" he asked, glancing at his temporary ally.

Hawk Moth's eyes opened as Danny's form bubbled over with dark purple.

Vlad gasped, staring at the boy with amazement.

Danny Fenton had been replaced with a distorted, monstrous version of Danny Phantom in mere seconds. The boy's once glowing green eyes had been replaced with an evil crimson, and his white hair raged like fire. His teeth were all now sharp fangs. The boy's body was different, as well - taller, and muscular, with a white cape flowing behind him, with a wind that only seemed to apply to the boy. The Fenton Thermos that was once in his hand was now a bracelet wrapped around his left hand.

He grinned upon seeing Vlad. "Well, hello there," he said in a deep, dark voice that didn't match the old him, but worked perfectly with his current form.

Vlad was caught off guard. "H-hello, Daniel-"

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" he screeched in a weaker form of his ghostly wail, blowing the two back, without seeming to weaken the boy at all. He chuckled, "My name is Phantom now," he hissed, eyes narrowing.

Hawk Moth chuckled. "You've proven your point, Phantom. Now it's time for you to return your end of the bargain... Bring me Ladybug's earrings and Chat Noir's ring!" he demanded.

Phantom chuckled softly, eerily. "With pleasure~" he whispered, before leaping upward, phasing through the ceiling.

Vlad whistled. "So, after you've gotten what you want, the butterfly brooch is mine," he asked, looking his friend in the eye.

Hawk Moth smiled. "Of course. I'll have no need of it after I have the miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir," he explained with a satisfied smile.

* * *

Jazz looked around once more. "DAAAAANNY!" she screamed into the night, desperate to find her little brother. She fell onto her knees, sobbing.

"That's not my name," said a soft voice behind her.

The redhead froze, and slowly turned around. "Danny...?" she asked softly, and gasped at the sight of him.

Phantom growled. "What did I just say?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

She shook her head slowly, and whispered "No, it can't be... What happened to you, Danny?" But in her heart, she knew.

"I'M NOT DANNY! I'm Phantom now... And you, dear Jasmine, are bait!" He grabbed her and picked her up by the back of her shirt, holding her high as he flew upwards.

Jazz screamed as she soared, unable to look anywhere but below her. "Danny, this isn't you, you've been akumatized! I should have never let you out of my sight..." she whispered.

The akumatized villain rolled his eyes. "If you say 'Danny' one more time, I will drop you," he threatened, as they reached an altitude of fifty feet in the air.

The redhead swallowed hard. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked fearfully.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir would never let an innocent person get hurt. They'd give me their miraculous first," Phantom explained.

The big sister shook her head again, "you don't have to do this, Danny..." The last word slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it, and suddenly she was falling, faster and faster, screaming -

Until Phantom caught her. "That was a warning. Next time, you'll hit the pavement," he hissed.

Jazz whimpered softly, holding herself tightly. It was cold up here... And they seemed to be going to the Eiffel Tower. Of course, she thought, mentally facepalming. Where else would Danny - or Phantom, rather - take her?

He stopped near the top, at an area most people weren't allowed. It was a long way down, Jazz though, peeking over the top. "Now... We wait for the superheroes," Phantom said, with a smirk. Somebody had to have heard the screaming, right?

* * *

Phantom turned out to be right. Alya showed up in no time flat, taking pictures of the latest akuma and posting it on the Ladyblog.

The akuma flew down to greet her. "Ah, a reporter," he said softly, as she recorded him.

"Who are you? Why are you holding that innocent girl up there?" asked Alya, desperate for the details.

Phantom didn't mind the camera. "I'm Phantom," he explained with a shit eating grin. "I'm going to turn that girl into a ghost if Ladybug and Chat Noir don't give me their jewelry!" He then flew back up.

Alya gasped, "did you hear that? Phantom! This new akuma is terrifying for certain!"

Phantom turned to Jazz, who was holding tightly to the side of the tower. "Look, Phantom, we can talk about this, right? I mean... Why are you upset?"

"Upset?" he asked, incredulous, laughing. "I'm not upset. Not any more. I've accepted who I am." He grinned at her.

She shook her head. "Akumas are drawn to anger or sadness. You were upset... Was it because of me?"

He refused to look at her. "Enough. Showtime," he said, pointing to a pair of quickly moving dots below - red and black. He picked her up by her collar, and floated away from the tower, as the superheroes scurried up it.

"Phantom! Put that girl down!" Ladybug shouted, as she reached the spot the redhead was just moments earlier.

He shook his head. "No can do, Ladybug. I need your earrings... Unless you'd like to see her go splat."

Jazz gasped, "Ladybug! Danny was akumatized!" she shouted, cupping her hands.

"What did I say ABOUT CALLING ME THAT?" he screamed at her, using the weaker version of the Ghostly Wail.

Chat Noir's eyes widened. "Danny? Ohhhhhh... That explains a lot!" he said softly. Ladybug ignored him.

"You're not getting our Miraculous, Phantom, not now or ever!" the superheroine declared.

Phantom let out a deep chuckle. "You'd rather let an innocent girl die?"

Ladybug grunted, trying to figure this out.

"Danny, this isn't you! You're funny and you make witty puns, and you're a hero!" shouted Chat Noir.

Phantom shrugged. "I was. But I grew out of him. You'll call me Phantom now."

"Lucky Charm!" shouted Ladybug, throwing her yo-yo into the sky.

Phantom blasted the object before it could land in her hands, sending it flying across the city. He let out a deep, booming laugh. "You can't win, Ladybug! Give up now, and I'll let the girl live."

Ladybug frowned, watching her special object go. She didn't even know what it was... And her earrings beeped, reminding her she didn't have a lot of time. She glanced at Chat. She breathed, "Okay."

"My lady, we can't give up!" he gasped in disbelief.

The superheroine shook her head. "We don't have a choice. He's going to kill that girl if we don't..."

Phantom watched this exchange, before narrowing his eyes. He removed his pinky finger. "Ooh, she's slipping!" he threatened.

Ladybug glanced at Chat, before smiling. "Get ready to catch her," she instructed.

"Right." He jumped and began surfing down the tower.

Phantom watched, a bit peeved, before he decided to throw Jazz, spinning around before doing so to give her extra speed.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as she was flung, before Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around the teen's foot.

Suddenly, Ladybug began to detransform. She gasped. "What's happening? I only heard one beep..."

Behind her, another Phantom stood, with a smug smile on his face and two earrings in his hand.

Down below, Chat Noir wrestled with another two copies of Phantom. Jazz was still sailing on her merry way, screaming.

The first Phantom went and caught her, holding her up high by her hand.

Chat Noir was restrained by the two Phantoms, the cat desperately staring upwards.

A pink butterfly outline appeared in front of the first Phantom's face.

 _"Take his miraculous, his ring, now!"_ shouted Hawk Moth in his ear.

The outline disappeared, and Phantom floated down to Chat, setting down a confused Jasmine. The villain removed Chat's ring himself, and watched the blonde detransform.

What was left was a helpless, desperate Adrien Agreste. "Please... You don't have to do this... Resist him!" he pleaded, tears in his eyes.

Something like recognition showed in those red eyes of his, before his face shouted the butterfly outline again.

 _"Bring the miraculous to me, now!"_ demanded Hawk Moth, and the four Phantoms rejoined as one, flying back to their master, without a glance as to what he had left behind.

Adrien watched, one thought in his mind - evil had won, and good had lost.


	8. Chapter 8

Phantom arrived at the basement of the Agreste Residence, holding in his hands the miraculous that Hawk Moth sought. When they were delivered, he was ecstatic and took them greedily. "Finally... Finally, finally, finally!" He looked like he was going to cry.

Vlad cleared his throat. "The butterfly brooch?" he asked, holding his hand out.

Hawk Moth nodded. "Nooroo, dark wings, fall," he said, for what he hoped was the last time, and handed the gem to Vlad.

The halfa chuckled and put it on. "Now, to see if ghosts can wield miraculous... Nooroo, dark wings, rise!" he called and transformed.

In seconds, he went from Vlad Plasmius to something completely different. The red of his cape turned a dark purple, and the light grey fabric turned silvery. His bluish face stayed revealed, there was no need to hide it, anyway. And, of course, the brooch on his chest stood out.

Phantom looked a bit confused, glancing between Gabriel, who was flipping through some big leather-bound book, and Vlad, who had gone through some sort of transformation. "Wait..." he muttered, trying to understand.

Vlad approached Phantom with a smile. "Hello, friend."

"Where did Hawk Moth go?" asked Phantom, looking at unease.

The miraculous holder laughed. "I am Hawk Moth now... But you can call me 'father'. In fact... I have a job for you, son."

* * *

Adrien was crying, sitting on the ground. Alya approached. "No way... Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir?!" she asked in amazement.

The blond looked up at the girl and glared daggers. "Phantom won. He took the miraculous, no doubt Hawk Moth already has them... We lost, Alya. We couldn't beat him."

Jazz walked up, looking shaken. "Not all is lost... My brother is stronger than he looks. He might be able to resist, right?" she bit her lip.

Marinette ran to Alya, crying. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, sobbing into her friend's arms.

Alya was confused, "what for? You couldn't do anything, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time!"

The bluenette shook her head. "I... He took the earrings... He took Tikki..." she said breathlessly.

Jazz understood before anyone else. "You're Ladybug," she determined, with a gasp.

Adrien's eyes went wide. "No way... Marinette is Ladybug?"

"It's okay, girl. There has to be something we can do, right?" she asked, searching her friend's eyes.

Marinette frowned. "Well, there might be someone who can help us... But we don't have much time..."

"Hold on a second... Marinette, you were Ladybug, all that time?" asked Adrien.

The girl squirmed. "Well, yeah... W-why, Adrien?"

"Adrien is Chat Noir," Jazz helpfully supplied.

Marinette gasped in disbelief. "No way..." she whispered, staring at him. "How could I have been so blind?"

Adrien shook his head. "That doesn't matter, Marinette. We have to hurry. Let's go see this someone who can help, quickly!" he said, with determination.

The bluenette nodded, before rushing off, the three trailing behind her. Maybe there was hope... But they didn't know for how long.

* * *

Gabriel sat at his desk, the miraculous he sought for so long in the palm of his hand. He flipped to the page of the ritual, his eyes skimming over the directions. Nooroo had done him a favor and given him a decoder ring, so he could decipher the meaning. He twirled the ring, annotating as he went along, so anxious to begin. His palms sweated, and he stood once he was done, eyes alight with excitement. Finally... He could -

He was knocked over, sent flying into the wall with brutal force. He hit hard, and he swore he heard the sound of something cracking. The miraculous flew from his hands, and he looked up with blurry vision, one of the lenses of his glasses cracked. "Wha...?" he gasped in pain.

There stood Phantom. He snatched the miraculous from the ground, Gabriel too weak to stop him. He looked up at Vlad. "You..." he whispered, grunting, attempting to stand, only to fall. "Our deal... You got what you wanted!" His voice cracked, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Vlad smiled. "I did, but I decided that I want more. With these jewels, I can make it so Maddie truly loves me... You did say any wish, didn't you?" The ghost asked with a smile.

Disbelief shone in the blond man's eyes. "No... We had a deal...!" he cried out, unable to stand.

Phantom picked up the book, and flew back to his master, handing them over.

Vlad nodded, "true, we did have a deal... But why would I give up the chance to make my wish? I can have the perfect family... My son," he messed with Phantom's fiery hair, to the akuma's annoyance. "And my wife," he explained, before grinning.

"My wife... Please, I just want my wife back..." the blond man sobbed, beginning to crawl across the ground desperately.

Pity shone in Vlad's eyes for a split second, before he turned to Phantom. "Why don't you make sure he stays down, son?" he asked, before turning and walking away.

Phantom grinned, and cracked his knuckles, those red eyes not showing a fraction of sympathy. No, he relished in this - just like Gabriel had wanted. The former villain felt a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Phantom, please... You don't have to do this..." he gasped, backing away, desperate.

The akuma only advanced. "Funny, that's what they said... And you're right. I don't have to do anything. But I want to," his eyes gleamed with that horrible crimson light.

Gabriel shook his head. "No... You're doing what Vlad wants. He's your enemy, isn't he? Why are you listening to him, it should be him listening to you!" he hissed, his voice still like honey, smooth and charismatic, even though he could not hide his terror.

Phantom stopped, puzzled, before thinking. "But Vlad... He is Hawk Moth," he said.

"He might be, but that gives him no right to control you. You're the monster. Don't act like a domesticated animal, Phantom. You aren't his lapdog... Are you?" Gabriel took a deep breath, watching the boy carefully. This seemed to be working.

Indeed, the akumatized kid nodded. "No, I'm not," he growled.

"Give him a taste of his own medicine," the fashion designer urged. "Show him that you're the boss, you're the one who should be in control, not him!" Gabriel knew that Vlad had no knowledge of the butterfly brooch's power. He would not be able to control Phantom... Hopefully. "Come on... You're more powerful than he will ever be. Why should you have ever listened to him."

Phantom's eyes seemed to light, and he smirked, the lightbulb turning on in his brain. "You're right, Gabriel. I should be in control!" The ghost boy vanished, invisible.

Gabriel let out a sigh. That was a close one. He carefully crawled up to his desk and hit the microphone button. "Natalie... I need some first aid and a new pair of glasses."

His assistant nodded. "Right away, sir."

The blond man slowly sat back down, breathing deeply. That was so close... If not for his charisma, he might have been killed - or worse. He would get back those miraculous, he vowed. Even if it brought himself even closer to death. He would do it... For her.

(This is gonna be the last chapter for this story for a little while. It takes me some time to write these chapters, and more importantly, inspiration. In the meantime, though, you can check out my other stories or leave a review for this one!)


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